As the Denver Supported Employment Program Manager at Sample Supports, my main priority is placing individuals with disabilities into integrated employment opportunities through which they’re able to demonstrate their significant skills and capabilities, and for which they earn a competitive wage while performing purposeful, rewarding work.To ensure that these individuals are successful in their employment, I arrange their onsite job coaching support: highly trained, compassionate professionals who guide each worker through job-specific tasks, who address behavior management, and who model professionalism in its various manifestations.As a former educator and small business owner, I’m daily thrilled to witness our workers learning new skills and contributing meaningfully to our partner businesses’ operations. I believe that supported employment benefits not only the individual worker, but also immeasurably adds to employers’ quality of life and labor. The workers in our Supported Employment program, who become our friends and colleagues, are their own most powerful advocates; few experiences in my professional and personal life have been as satisfying as helping them “walk the walk” as valuable, skilled employees.